Asian Niches II

continued

This still left me yearning for a total pho blowout. China Gate does only two pho versions, so a few days later I went back for the beef. This time I started with a couple of Vietnamese summer rolls: a bundle of vermicelli, shrimp, lettuce, and cilantro bound in a rice wrapper, with a soy-peanut sauce on the side. These rolls, served chilled, are deliciously light for hot weather. The soup took awhile--which I took as a good sign, since it suggested it was being made to order. And before the pho came a small plate of condiments. Seeing it, I felt like yelling "Score!" It was all there: bean sprouts, fresh basil leaves, a sliced jalapeno pepper, wedges of fresh lemon.